Dark Fate
by MichiFruey
Summary: Ken finds himself in the digital world one day, without his digivice or Wormmon. And then he meets a nightmare... himself. Why is there a Digimon Emperor once again? *UPDATED 02/08!*
1. "...And The Cat Came Back..."

A Dark Fate  
  
By Michi&Fruey  
  
Disclaimer: Not ours, nopenope! ^-^v But   
we're borrowing them for a bit.  
  
Michi's Note: We're not sure in what direction  
this story'll be going. There is a reason for the  
insanity, just stick with us. The next chapter is  
in the works and will be longer too.  
  
  
  
  
  
'It's so cold...' Ken thought as he opened his eyes,  
forcing himself to his feet.. 'I don't think I'm in my bed   
anymore... or in the real world for that matter.'   
  
"Wormmon! Where are you?!" He called out, wondering  
where his partner was, but there was nothing but a  
desolate ocean of black sand. Control spires from his  
days as the Digimon Emporer dotted the land. "Wait...   
Those are... those aren't mine! Wormmon, where are  
you!?" His voice dropped to a mere whisper. There   
were several Dark Tyrannomon not far off, controlled   
by Dark Rings. He hadn't been spotted from his spot   
on a hill... yet. An Airdramon flew over head, surveying   
the construction of new control spires... and on top of it   
was... himself... "No, it's not me! I'm not the Digimon   
Emporer anymore!" He fell back, burying his face in his  
hands. "NO!"  
  
He surveyed the land below him. The control spires were  
getting finished in record time. Soon the digital world would  
be his. No one was powerful enough to stop him. "Muaha!"  
He was in fact that _true_ Digimon Emperor. The one that  
would actually fulfill his destiny, and rule the entire digital   
world, and very soon the normal world as well.  
  
His cruel laughter suddenly came to a stop as he heard someone  
yelling `no' Now normally this wouldn't be strange, but that voice  
sounded.. like his. Looking down once again he caught sight of a  
boy. The boy looked like him in so many ways. "Impossible!" He   
yelled before ordering Airdramon to take him down to the strange   
boy.   
  
Ken cowered, but meeting an evil version of yourself. He finally looked   
up at the frightening sight of the spiky-haired evil version of himself  
with wide eyes. "You... no... you can't be... you're not..." He babbled,   
trembling. This couldn't be real, it had to be a nightmare. His evil past  
was over with and gone.  
  
"Master... he looks like you." A Blackwormmon observed, scuttling over  
to curl about his master's feet as the Airdramon came to a stop.  
  
The Digimon Emperor's happy evil face changed to a very angry one.   
He glared at the other version of himself. He did _not_ cower, nor would  
he let any look alikes run around, and try to convince others that he would.  
A cowering, scared Digimon emperor was a sight no one should ever   
see. Why? Because it should never exist!  
  
As the Airdramon came to a stop on the ground, the Digimon   
emperor kicked Black wormmon off the side, and away from  
his feet. He jumped off the large digimon and stormed over to   
Ken. "Who are you?"  
  
Blackwormmon yelped and landed on the ground, scurrying   
over to his master and staying up out of kicking range.  
  
"Ichijouji Ken..." Ken had the feeling that the Emperor wasn't  
going to be happy with that answer. He worked up the courage  
to say, "I... I should be asking who YOU are..." How was there  
another Digimon Emperor? "Why are you hurting the digimon!?"  
  
"He is you." The black digimon mentioned smugly. The idea of  
his master cowering in fear was actually kind of funny.  
  
"Shut up!" The emperor yelled, and pulled out his whip,   
hitting Black wormmon. He was in a very bad mood at that  
moment, and the last thing he needed was his own digimon  
laughing at him. He turned his glare back to Ken. "I'm not  
hurting them.. very much." He said answering Ken's question.   
"I wouldn't have to if they just surrendered to me, and become  
my slaves." Why wouldn't they want to become his slaves?!  
He was the Emperer! The most powerful force ever to grace  
existence.  
  
"You shouldn't hurt them at all! They're living creatures!" Ken   
protested, when the Emperor hurt the Blackwormmon. It reminded  
him so terribly of how he used to abuse his digimon... how he  
used to ENJOY it. He decided at that point it'd be best to take  
a page from Davis's book when it came to dealing with a   
psychopath that was really pissing him off. He lunged at the   
other boy, trying to wrestle the whip away from him.  
  
If there was one thing about being the Digimon Emperer that   
was really fun, it was whipping digimon, and foolish people who  
dare try to steal his precious whip. He struggled for the whip   
against Ken. He was happy to find that not only was this imposter  
was not anywhere near his strength. He kicked Ken right in the gut   
with the same force he'd use to make a winning goal at a soccer  
game. "Their lowly creatures! They need someone to rule them!"  
  
Ken gasped for air, knowing for a fact he'd never been THAT  
strong. His vision blacked out for a few moments and he went  
limp, just struggling to breathe. Now he knew why Davis could   
pull things like that off, the other digidestined was really strong.  
"No... they... aren't..." He whispered, totally blacking out.  
  
"I guess he _isn't_ you." Blackwormmon noted, seeing how  
easily that Ken was beat by HIS Ken. 


	2. "...The Very Next Day..."

A Dark Fate  
  
By Michi&Fruey  
  
Disclaimer: Not ours, nopenope! ^-^v But   
we're borrowing them for a bit.  
  
Michi's Note: We're not sure in what direction  
this story'll be going. Thanks for the reveiws!  
*bouncies* Chapter 2 is in the works, but here's  
Chapter 1 to tide you over!   
  
  
  
Ken stayed unconscious for some time, with  
no small amount of help from his captors- a   
careless ogremon had more than likely given   
the boy a concussion when transporting him. The  
boy looked unnaturally pale and frail, laying on a  
massive bed in a black room within the bowels   
of the Digimon Emperor's base. He wasn't left free  
so he could escape, however. A heavy metal collar  
with a chain attached to the headboard, with just   
enough slack that he'd be able to move around the  
bed.   
  
Blackwormmon watched the slow rise and fall of   
the boy's chest. He was under orders to alert his  
master when Ken awoke. "Is this what the master   
would be like if he didn't have the black digivice?   
Does he have a digivice?" The digimon slinked   
over started his perusal of the unconscious boy's   
school uniform's pockets, coming up empty handed...   
or empty pincered, more like it.   
  
Blue violet eyes fluttered open slowly, woozily  
murmuring, "Worm...mon..." He reached out and   
held the digimon he mistakenly thought was his  
own for a bit, before Blackwormmon wriggled away  
and went to the door, ordering a dark-ringed digimon  
to go get the Emperor with the news that the captive  
was awake.  
  
As soon as The Emperor heard the news that their  
`guest' was awake he bolted down the dark hallways.   
Normally he wouldn't run down them. There had never  
been any reason for him to hurry before this. He had  
to find out who this imposter was, and why he had  
come to the Digiworld.   
  
Once he came upon the door the room that held Ken  
he pushed the doors open, and walked in. "Finally   
awake ne?" He asked with an evil grin on his face. Not  
even an imposter of himself, the strongest being in the   
universe, could beat him.   
  
"You..." Ken forced himself to sit up, but it was difficult.  
He felt so weak and the heavy iron collar and chain only  
succeeded in weighting him down even more. "You   
bastard... I don't know _why_ you're doing this..." This  
version of the Digimon Emperor seemed to be pure evil,   
not misguided like he himself had been. "You won't win   
though... _They_ won't let you win." He was terrified, that   
showed itself in his eyes, but he was also angry.  
  
The Emperor silently watched as Ken sat up, and gave   
his little speech. Even in Ken's injured state he was still   
willing to defend his beliefs. "You actually believe that   
someone will be able to stop me? Someone like _you_   
huh?" He walked over, and sat on the edge of the bed, his   
eyes never leaving Ken. "I think that head injury is worse   
then I thought." He admitted honestly. Why else would   
someone think such stupid thoughts.   
  
Ken may have been stupid from the Emperor's point of  
view, but he also seemed very interesting. Most of the   
others in the digital world were concerned for their own   
safety anyway. Why bother worrying about someone   
else?  
  
"Davis and the others will! I can guarantee that. I might   
not be as strong as them, but you're not going to win."   
Ken was slumping back, his strength draining. He glared   
at the Emperor, his eyes were just as cold and distant as  
the other boy's for a few moments, but he shuddered and  
closed his eyes, not wanting to see that... abomination  
in front of him.  
  
"Davis? Others?" He asked with a smirk. "No one can   
stand up against me. I can guarantee you that I won't be  
so nice to them as I have been to you." It was true. He'd  
normally not be so nice as to put someone on a bed. He   
scooted closer to Ken. "You know it's true... Maybe you   
don't just look like me ya'know.. maybe you think like me  
too on some level."  
  
Ken's eyes flew open when he heard the voice closer to   
him. "I'm not like you! I'm nothing like you!" Tears were  
starting to form, he _WAS_ like the Digimon Emperor,  
he used to BE the Emperor. For a dizzying second, he  
realized what this guy was. The program he had written so  
long ago, a safeguard just in case he was killed or injured   
badly, so the digidestined wouldn't win. He thought that it'd   
been destroyed. He pulled at the collar futilely, trying to get   
free. It was too constricting, making him start to feel panicked,   
terrified.  
  
  
The Emperor glared as he watched Ken switch from   
standing up against the strongest power in the digital   
world, to being scared. It didn't make any sense. You  
should pick one, or the other. Not switch back and forth.   
Watching Ken in his current state was really starting to   
get on the digimon emperor's nerves. He hated the very  
idea of looking like that. Plus, what if someone saw Ken  
doing that, and they thought they were the same person?!  
  
He pulled back his hand, and slapped Ken in the face "You  
can't change a person that much you baka! Don't you dare   
start crying!!"   
  
Ken was too shocked to react at that point. He stared up  
at the other boy, realizing this was how so many people  
and digimon felt when he had tortured them. It was too much  
for the boy, who had not long ago started to come to grips and  
begin to forget what he'd done... well, not forget, but at least   
forgive himself over it. Tears overflowed until he was actually   
crying, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs. "No... no... this  
isn't happening... no..." He said, voice barely audible as he hid  
his face in his hands.  
  
"Master," Blackwormmon interrupted, "Aren't you being a bit  
harsh?"  
  
"A bit harsh?" The Emperor took his attention away from  
the sobbing Ken to look at Black wormmon. "I'm being to  
harsh?" He repeated again, but this time the anger was  
starting to seep into his tone of voice. He was the Digimon  
Emperor. He could do whatever he wanted to, and there his  
own Digimon was trying to tell him he was being too harsh. "No  
I'm _NOT_ being a bit to harsh!" He sighed. Why bother trying   
to explain taking over the Digital world to a Digimon? They just   
don't understand anything.   
  
He turned to gaze at Ken once more. Really the sight of  
himself in such a wrecked state was very disturbing. He   
knew he'd never cry like that. Never. "Will you stop crying?!" His   
tone of voice had lost some of the edge to it. It was true the very   
sight of the other boy was almost painful.  
  
No one could understand what he was going through, Ken   
realized, least of all this sick, twisted version of himself. "You'll  
destroy... everything... don't you understand...?" And then   
darkness rushed up to claim him, he started to lose consciousness  
with a sick certainty that this time the digidestined wouldn't be  
enough. 


	3. "...AndTheCatCameBackTheVeryNextDay..."

A Dark Fate  
  
By Michi&Fruey  
  
Disclaimer: Not ours, nopenope! ^-^v But   
we're borrowing them for a bit.  
  
Michi's Note: We're not sure in what direction  
this story'll be going. Here's a bit from the  
perspective of the other Digidestined.  
  
  
  
  
  
Yolei looked at her watch for the fiftieth time.   
Where was Ken? They were supposed to be   
having a meeting of the digidestined. All of the   
younger group of digidestined were there with   
the exception of Ken, they were all sprawled   
out in her bedroom this time. "Where is he?!"   
She burst out, standing up suddenly, tossing   
Poromon off of her lap. Luckily, Cody caught   
the little digimon, sparing it from splatting on   
the floor.  
  
"Not here, I think." Cody said, edging away   
from the angered girl.  
  
"I know that! But Ken is supposed to be   
HERE!" She stamped her foot and crossed  
her arms, fuming. She adored the dark-haired  
boy, being his most devoted fan and all, but   
she took the trouble to plan out a picnic and  
NO ONE was going to ruin it.  
  
"I messaged him on my D-3 so we're bound  
to get an answer soon." TK put in helpfully, "If  
we don't, then one of us can go check on him,  
alright?" He turned back to Kari, chatting   
amiably about something or other in an attempt   
to get the object of his affections to giggle. He  
was constantly in a state of war with Davis over  
who would get Kari to like them more.  
  
"Relax Yolei." Davis said waving his hands  
hoping that somehow it would magically calm   
her. "I'm sure he has a good reason for not   
being here. I mean he _is_ famous what if one  
of those wandering fan hoards found him, and  
is currently got him trapped."   
  
Kari, who was in the middle of talking with TK,   
stared at Davis with an angered expression.   
Telling Yolei that Ken was stuck in the middle  
of a mess of raging fans was _not_ a very good   
idea. She got up from her seat, and sat down  
next to Yolei. "I don't think anything like that  
happened. Maybe he forgot that we were   
supposed to be here right now. After all it is  
earlier then when we usually meet." It was true.   
The time was in fact a bit off, but still it wasn't   
much of an answer as to why Ken was late.  
  
It wasn't like Ken to forget something that   
important.   
  
Davis huddled into the corner pouting. He'd   
done something to upset Kari again!! as he  
sat there the little scoreboard popped into  
his head once again. `Score: TK making Kari  
giggle.. Davis making Kari angry... Davis 0...  
TK 6,000... waaah!' As he sat pouting   
Demiveemon patted him on the head.   
  
Yolei wailed dramatically, latching onto Kari  
for emphasis, "WHAT IF ONE OF THOSE  
FANS KISSES _MY_ KEN-CHAN?!"  
  
Cody coughed lightly, still holding both   
Upamon and Poromon. "I don't think you  
own Ke-" He was cut off as Yolei pitched  
a pillow at his head with deadly accuracy.   
Then she reached for another pillow and  
threw it at him just to ensure he wouldn't  
refute her totally serious worries.  
  
"Yolei I'm sure nothing like that is happening.   
He does have to take the subway to get here,   
maybe it was just delayed." Kari said trying to  
get Yolei to cool down. For some strange reason  
Yolei didn't throw things at Kari. Maybe it was the  
fact that they were both girls, and thus, they   
could both understand what it would be like to   
have a missing boyfriend. Of course Ken _wasn't_  
Yolei's boyfriend, not yet at least.  
  
TK watched the scene with mild amusement,   
Yolei was very... strange when it came to Ken.  
Of course, she did have plans to marry him,  
which he wasn't sure if Ken was aware of   
those plans. His attention was drawn away   
as his D-3, he read it aloud in confusion,   
"Message delivery failure... terminal not   
operational... What?! Something's wrong."  
  
Davis watched the girls for a little bit. He   
wondered if all girls did that. Claimed a man,  
and pronounced them their boyfriend without  
telling him. `Maybe Kari's said that about you!'   
He told himself, and refrained from bouncing   
up and dancing around. Actually he was going  
to that was until he noticed what TK had  
said. "What's wrong?"  
  
"I'm not sure." TK replied, looking at Davis  
before looking back at his D-3. "Ken's D-3   
isn't working... or something." He walked over  
to Kari and sat next to her, looking dumbfounded.  
He pulled out his Digivice and tried to get Ken's  
signal, but that too wasn't working. "Kari, see  
if you can get a signal, I can't..."  
  
Yolei squawked, "WHAAAT?! IT'S BROKEN!?"   
That was BAD! VERY, VERY BAD! "Oh, my   
god! He could be hurt! Or worse!" Various horrible  
things flashed through her mind as she fretted  
over Ichijouji Ken.  
  
"I don't think they can just get turned off... This isn't   
good..." Cody added, recovering from the barrage  
of pillows. "We better go find him."  
  
Kari pulled out her won digivice, and tried to send  
a message to Ken. "This isn't good" she said,  
repeating Cody's words. She stood up, and looked  
at the others. "He's in trouble."  
  
Davis bounced to his feet in a second. "Right!" He   
took a moment to take a pose, and grinned. `Kari's   
gonna love this!' "Let's go save Ken!" He announced  
triumphantly as though he had just won't the Olympics.   
Of course someday he was going to do that. It was   
one his list of things to do!   
  
TK sighed, "This is serious, Davis, we can't be   
playing games. Alright, let's split up and look for him.   
Cody, Yolei, and Davis... you three go to the digital   
world. Kari and I'll go to Ken's apartment." He sounded   
deathly serious, and as if he was just _waiting_ for  
someone to tell him they'd do otherwise.  
  
"Alright TK!" Patamon chirped, flying into the boy's   
backpack.  
  
"Keep in close contact. And stay safe, if something  
got Ken..." He trailed off meaningfully.  
  
Yolei got up and booted up her computer, looking   
VERY determined. Nothing would happen to HER   
Ken. "We'll do that. Good luck."  
  
Kari waved to the others as she, and TK headed  
off on their way to go locate Ken. There had to be  
something terribly wrong, and they both knew that.   
There was no way that a Digivice just went *poof*   
and disappeared off into nevernever land. "I hope   
he's alright.." She looked at TK, and smiled a little.  
"So what's the plan?"  
  
"Um... I'm not really sure..." TK admitted after a   
moment's thought as they made their way to the   
subway station. "I guess we tell his mom that Ken  
borrowed a book and we need it... for school, or   
something?" The blonde was a horrible liar, but he  
understood that he'd have to if he wanted to help  
Ken. He, shyly, reached over and took her hand   
in his when they entered a big crowd. He  
rationalized to himself that it was just to keep   
from losing her and had nothing to do with the   
fact that he adored her.   
  
Patamon and Salamon, Gatomon's rookie form,   
were in TK's backpack, peeking out. Patamon   
whispered, "Look, look! They're holding hands!"   
For the longest time, the two digimon had wanted  
their partners to get together, they were just too  
cute.  
  
Salamon smiled happily. She had been watching  
Kari, and TK for the longest time now. Waiting   
for them to finally realize that they both liked one  
another.   
  
Kari didn't make a move to pull her hand away  
from TK's. They had to stay together, and hang  
on to each other in the crowded subway area. She  
squeezed his hand a bit. It was just to make certain  
that he was there, it wasn't anything to do with the   
fact that she had a crush on him.   
  
  
TK fought to keep himself from grinning stupidly, and  
was moderately successful. 'Think about something   
else other than how delicate Kari's hands are... and   
soft... and.... ACK!' Suddenly, he was feeling really   
protective of her, realizing that he wanted Kari to stay   
the delicate pretty girl that she was, and for nothing to  
ever happen to her.  
  
He hadn't realized he'd kept ahold of her hand until they   
were at Ken's apartment. He pulled his hand away   
quickly, suddenly blushing. Flustered, he tried to calm   
down and knocked on the apartment door. When Mrs. Ichijouji   
answered, he told his lie and get them access to Ken's   
room. He let Patamon and Salamon out of his backpack.  
"Look around... I'll check Ken's computer." He sat at the   
desk and turned on the moniter... there was a digital portal...   
but Ken's digivice was lying next to the computer.  
  
Kari looked around the rest of the room. Really she was   
trying to hide the blush that had formed on her cheeks. She  
looked around Ken's room, really trying to find out why exactly  
TK had pulled his hand away so quickly. `Maybe because  
he sensed your giggly fangirl ways?' While she thought about   
TK she failed to notice the lump under the blankets moving  
towards her like a missile.  
  
"Ken?!" A hopeful voice called out as a little green head  
peeked out from under the covers. Kari had jumped a   
bit when she first heard Wormmon's voice. "TK, Wormmon's  
here." She said walking over to pick up the little digimon.  
  
"Damn it...!" He wasn't sure what he was mad at, he   
wasn't angry at the little insect digimon. At least Wormmon  
was safe... but that meant Ken was alone in the digital world...   
without his digimon or anything... "You don't know where he  
is either?" He hated how resigned his voice sounded, but   
right then he was about at the end of his rope. They had a   
NEW menace to worry about. "Let's go to the Digiworld..."   
It was probably a bad idea to go using Ken's computer...   
Mrs. Ichijouji might get suspicious... but they had no choice.  
  
Wormmon looked from Kari to TK. They didn't know where  
was. "Ken is in the Digiworld?" He asked worriedly. He  
was afraid to be without Ken for even a moment worried   
at what he might do, or what might be done to him. Many  
of the digimon in the digital world were still seeking revenge  
for the work the Digimon Emperor had done while he was   
in power. He didn't want to leave Ken alone with them   
running around.   
  
Kari looked at TK as he gave his little speech. She  
loved it when he got into his macho self. It was.. She shook  
her head to get rid of those thoughts. Ken needed  
them. "Right! Let's go!"   
  
"Digiport, open!" TK and Kari, along with the trio of  
Digimon were sent to the digiworld. The landed in the  
sand, the sky broken up in its monotony by black control   
spires. TK tensed up, holding Kari to him, as they were   
surrounded by vacant eyed Digimon with familiar dark   
rings around them.   
  
"Ichijouji..." He growled softly, caught by surprise but there  
was no way to mistake this for anything else. The Digimon  
Emperor was back in business. A Redveggiemon sent   
out whip-like tentacles, cutting into the skin of TK's back as   
he pushed Kari down and protecting her. Holding back a cry   
of pain, he gritted out, "Patamon... Armor Digivolve!" The blonde  
slumped, dazed but still trying to protect Kari after he'd been  
hit several more times.  
  
"Patamon, Armor Digimon to... Pegasusmon!" The   
winged-horse flew down towards the dark spiralled   
digimon, attacking indiscriminately. TK had been hurt by them...  
they didn't deserve any mercy.  
  
Kari stared at the enslaved digimon with a horror stricken   
face. There was no mistaking the black rings that were  
wrapped tightly around the digimon. It was a sure sign that  
the Digimon Emperor had returned. Ken was good. That's what  
he had said. That's what they all believed. She refused to believe  
that Ken would actually betray them, but deep down she knew it   
had always been a possibility.  
  
Looking at TK she knew that it was real. The Digimon   
Emperor WAS back, and he hurt TK. She hold tightly onto   
TK. "Are you okay!?"   
  
"Kari! I think it's time to digivolve" Salamon shouted as she  
watched Pegasusmon fighting off the other digimon by himself.  
  
Kari looked at her digimon, and nodded. She pulled out her   
digivice for Salamon to digivolve into Gatomon, but nothing   
happened. "What?!" She looked at her digivice, then at Salamon,   
then at the towering dark spire. "Oh no..."  
  
TK forced a small grin for Kari's benefit. "M'okay..." He wasn't   
really, but he'd say he was for Kari. His eyes slid shut and he   
rested he head on Kari's shoulder, barely able to keep conscious.  
  
They were surrounded, but Pegasusmon was making his way   
through the enemy's ranks. For the most part, these were low  
level Digimon. Once a few were released, they even had  
something in the way of reinforcements. "Kari-chan..." TK   
mumbled softly, having totally fallen unconscious.  
  
Kari held onto TK tightly. She hoped that Pegasusmon   
would be enough to keep them safe for the time being. "TK..   
TK get up!" She said shaking him ever so slightly. She  
looked at her D3, and quickly started creating a message  
to send to the others. "I hope they can get it." If Ken's D3   
was messing up some then the others might as well.  
  
"I'm getting help Tk. Hold on, okay" She knew TK was unconscious, but   
still she tried to reassure him that things would be okay. Really she   
wanted to reassure herself as well. Things were not looking too good   
for them at that moment. 


End file.
